---
title: Guidelines
redirect_from:
  - /components/tag/
---

<ReactExample exampleId="Tag-default" height={280} />

## When to use

- To show selected options that can be added and removed.
- To add interactive labels.

## When not to use

- For static labels---use a [badge](/components/information/badge/).
- For actions that affect anything else---use a [button](/components/action/button/).

## Component status

<ComponentStatus component="Tag" />

## Content structure

![Label: describes tag meaning and works best when short; icon: visually supports tag meaning; remove icon: optionally gives the option to remove tag.](fileId:4QJZqvBvRrLu6t9mwObCkA;nodeId:208%3A0)

## Behavior

### Use to organize content

Tags work well at displaying organization in a small space.
Use them to show labels, categories, and other taxonomy
to show the structure of your content.

### Use to filter searches

With small screens,
you don't want to take up a lot of space with all of the options for filtering search results.
Use tags to add progressive disclosure to your filters.

Tags allow you to show the category of filter in a small space.
Their state lets users quickly see if the filter is applied and clear it.

<ReactExample exampleId="Tag-filters" />

## Content

### Keep it simple

Tags are small and can't contain much information.
They're great for organizing and providing cues for what's been selected.
But you can't fit a lot into that space.

If you have more information to display, use another component.

It's also best to avoid cluttering up tags with too many visual cues.
Unless it's necessary, try to keep tags as text only.

<ReactExample exampleId="Tag-variants" />

## Look & feel

![A visual comparison of tag states with and without hover/focus.](fileId:fannvRpkOJK6uxxT33EKaa;nodeId:149%3A1596)

### Hover

Because tags are interactive, they darken on hover/focus.
This shows users that they can do something by interacting with the tag.

### Color

Tags have two states: default and selected.
When a tag has been selected (such as when a filter is applied),
it becomes darker to draw more attention.

Tags that are removable are <InlineToken name="paletteBlueLight" alternateName /> as default.
This helps distinguish them as more interactive.
It also helps users see the possibility to remove the tag by clicking the close button.
